Here’s How Sprawl Happens

SAN DIEGO  Suburban sprawl creates hellish commutes and it costs a fortune in new infrastructure. There are reasons why it occurs. If you want to know what they are then click on the helpful graphic provided, which comes courtesy of the New Jersey DOT.

Sprawl is described as a vicious cycle. And there are clearly some points where the cycle can be stopped. Roads don't have to be widened. Land does not have to be rezoned. Those are political decisions that could go either way, and preventing sprawl requires political will.

You can't stop a city from growing but you can make it grow in a certain way. This illustration shows what we're up against.